All My Fault
by cartoonking10749
Summary: Joe believes he is responsible for the death of a friend and it takes the reassuring soul of the girl he loves to bring him back. Set during the saga of the Dark Masters.


**ALL MY FAULT**

It had been an hour after the noble warrior digimon, Leomon breathed his last breath. His final moments as Mega-level Digimon, SaberLeomon were heroic as he saved his friends from the wrath of the vengeful primate, MetalEtemon.

Before he died, he made peace with his old nemesis, Ogremon.

Now, strolling through the jungle-like forests of the Digital World were a small caravan of five different looking digimon: A green ogre-like beast, a green frog with an attached trumpet on his head, a tadpole with four walking limbs, a white seal-like animal with purple patterns and a small, green, plant monster.

Also amongst the digimon were two human children: The first a boy with glasses and a first aid kit bag and the other is a girl in a red dress, complete with a pink cowboy hat. Their names were Joe and Mimi and they were Digdestined.

The mission of this small group was to gather as many allies as possible in order to free the Digital World from its ruthless tyrants: Mega-level Digimon known as the Dark Masters. So far there only seems to be two left remaining; the other two were destroyed by their friends, the other digidestined.

But this good news could not cloud the memory of Leomon's death. Everyone in the small caravan were depressed by it, but the most depressed were Ogremon and the two humans. However only one of them is still in deep mourning, even after Mimi had plucked up to courage to not let something horrible stop her from defeating the Dark Masters for good.

"Joe?"

The boy looked down towards his digimon partner.

"You okay, buddy?"

Joe stopped walking, halting everyone else too. He stared down at Gomamon with a glare that could win first place if looks could kill.

Then came his voice in a highly uncomfortable tone, which attracted the attention of all in the little party.

"No! I'm not okay. Leomon should still be with us. And he would still be here with us if I just let you attack MetalEtemon. But I held you back, long enough for that metal monkey to do his damage on SaberLeomon and putting Mimi in danger. Some reliable sort I am. It's my fault, Leomon's dead!"

Everybody felt shaken by Joe's outburst, especially Joe himself. Gomamon had never heard Joe's voice spat out harsh venom and regret at the same time before.

He looked up at his human partner with a hurt expression on his face and for a first in his digital life, he stuttered, trying to make a comeback sentence.

"B…B…But Joe, You…d…d…didn't…"

The young doctor wannabe did not want to hear the rest. And with all his might and blind fury, he threw his first-aid bag to the ground, shocking Gomamon, Palmon and Mimi.

But before anyone spoke, Joe stormed into the undergrowth alone.

"Where's he going?" asked Ogremon to anyone, willing to answer.

"I don't know, but I'm going to get him." Answered a very concerned Gomamon, ready to pursue his partner. However, he was immediately halted by Mimi.

"No Gomamon, please stay with Palmon and everyone, I'll go and talk to him"

After that, Mimi picked up Joe's bag and too vanished into the undergrowth.

Joe didn't stray to far from the group and found himself a seat on a log in front of a wide, enormous blue lake. He secretly hoped that there were dangerous aquatic digimon like Seadramon in the lake. Being eaten alive is no scare for him now, he was too depressed.

"Leomon, I could have prevented this. But instead, I'd let you fight alone, I'm so sorry I let you and my friends down."

"Joe?" A gentle, concerned feminine voice caught his attention and he spun round to see the girl he grew attached with and obviously liked, when they both left the main digidestined group. Actually, it was Mimi who left, because she did not want to fight anymore. Joe felt the same way and stayed behind with her.

He turned his head away from her and gazed out at the lake. The thought that he let his temper and regret getting the better of him made him believe that he was reduced down to a spoiled, immature little baby who ran away.

Mimi stared at him through sad eyes for about five seconds, but it felt like a whole hour. Then she made her way towards the log and sat down left of Joe.

At first there was total silence, but Mimi's sincere nature urged her to break the discomforting ice of silence.

"Joe, please look at me." She said.

The boy did what he was told. When he looked at her, he couldn't help but feel warm looking into those cute, bubbly brown/hazel eyes and petit pretty face. He was also getting nervous staring at the girl he had feelings for.

But despite that, he let Mimi proceed. She still had that concerned look on her face.

"I miss Leomon too. There was nothing you could have done. He was mortally wounded. I was heartbroken, I agree to that, but Leomon and Tai and the others would have wanted us to remain strong if we're to defeat those dark masters."

Joe understood that, but turned his head, still in sorrow.

"That's true. But still, Leomon would not come back now. Not after I cowardly kept Ikkakaumon from fighting along side him. I did it, because I knew you did not want Palmon to fight, in case she got hurt. I did not want you also to get hurt physically or otherwise. When SaberLeomon saved you from that black lightening attack, I couldn't bear to put you in greater danger. But the bottom line is that the damage was done and could have prevented it."

Joe's glasses were now wet from his bitter tears. It was blurring up his vision. It was worse that he did not feel like wiping them clean. He was vulnerable now.

Just then, he felt something leathery touched the flesh of his hands. He looked and saw Mimi holding his hands in her gloves in a reassuring, comfortable, loving manner.

"Joe, I don't blame you for Leomon's death. If someone was to blame, it was MetalEtemon."

"But..." Joe was cut off by a gentle kiss on the cheek, which made that same area a ghostly pinkish red. But he did not feel like hiding it, he was too taken back by that kiss.

Mimi then took his glasses off and wiped them clean and clear on her dress. This seemed like strange behaviour at first, since Mimi did not want her clothes to be dirty, ever. But now, she was wiping the salty liquid drops with her dress. But Mimi seemed to have matured a lot recently. When she finished, she handed them back to Joe, who placed them back on his face, replying a somewhat positive "Thanks".

Mimi smiled at his gratitude. Then she carried on.

"And thank you very much for caring about people before yourself. I think it was very nice of you to stick with me. Even if I had been bothersome during our early adventures."

After that, she wrapped her arms around Joe and embraced him in a grateful hug. The boy felt immobilised and continually sniff to prevent his nose from bleeding, but he too eventually returned the hug.

"You are such a nice, beautiful girl, Mimi. No wonder why I love you." He muttered, thinking she would not hear. But guess what? She did.

Now it was Mimi's turn to blush and be surprised. She immediately broke out of the hug and stared at him directly into the eyes.

"Did you just say I'm beautiful and you love me?"

Joe realised she must have heard him and now he felt trapped like a rat in a messed-up maze. He cursed his big fat mouth silently in his mind. How can say something stupid right out in the open. But then, was it stupid to address the girl he loves as beautiful.

Joe placed one behind his head, cheeks burning red with embarrassment and coughed out a struggled chuckle.

He then turned away from her, not to make further eye contact before speaking out.

"Sorry, I'm sorry Mimi, just a slip of the tongue. Nothing really!"

But his words aren't fooling Mimi, who was had a big smile on her face and her eyes start to brighten like new born stars of a harmonious night.

"Oh Joe, That's the sweetest thing everyone's ever said to me!"

And with that, without warning. She coiled her gloved hands around his own, attracting his attention to her.

"Mi..Mmph!"

He was silenced, hearing only his own fast-pacing heartbeat. Mimi was too close to his face, he could touch her nose with his own. Her eyes were closed and she looked exactly what he claimed her to be. But the rush of sensation from not from her looks, but what was happening down at his mouth.

Her lips are clamped around it in a kiss that is the real thing.

Now, he had a real reason to live and the guilt vanished very quickly.

Instinctively, he returned the kiss, knowing now she felt the same way about him as he did of her.

Just three seconds after the returning kiss, Mimi broke up the kiss to announce something she personally bottled up since her time with Joe.

"Joe?"

"Yes Mimi?"

"I love you"

"I love you too."

"By the way, you left this back there" she said smiling , handing the first-aid bag to its owner, the doctor in training who is now glad to see it.

"Thanks. I guess um, we need to go back to Gomamon and Palmon now and find more allies on the way right?"

"Guess so. But let's not go back yet, not after we have a proper kiss, anyway."

And so, holding each other in their arms, Joe and Mimi embraced into a wonderful lip-to-lip kiss, which was covered from the rest of the surrounding scenery under Mimi's pink, cowboy hat.

The End


End file.
